a few answers
Submitted by Bach on April 12 1999 at 09:29:00
In reply to A brief question... Submitted by Tygyr on April 11 1999 at 19:40:46
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Hi Tygyr, Welcome back to CBF! Every facet of your life appears, essentially, to be directed by this one book. I would say that my life is directed by the example of Jesus, as recorded in this book, The Bible. Does God really want a bunch of clones? In a word? No. God has articulated this vision of "love thy neighbour" in many different ways throughout history. It is our understanding and interpretation that has changed through the ages. I understand the vastly different Gods of the New and Old Testament to be different relevations of His Glory in human understanding. I feel that what God wants for us, His children, is probably very different from what Christians strive for today. We are still on the journey to understanding. How do you justify (if you do) sublimating your own self in favour of someone else's ideal? This is a point that I am currently reflecting on a lot. And not just God. I think that my actions are well within my understanding of God's Grace. But how far do I bend over to make myself acceptable to my brothers and sisters in Christ who may understand God very differently than I do. The easiest thing to do would be to say that they are wrong and let them be. But my Christian understanding of community is that I have a responsibility to bring new understandings of the power of God and the way He is working in me to them. And so I struggle with finding ways of communicating what it means to be marginalized in my sexuality. But this isn't really your question. Maybe I think of it a bit like marriage -- both parties make contributions and compromises. Living within a Christian community (church) is not so different from any other community. People need to get to know one another and build trust. We establish a common belief system and strive to attain ideals that are shared. I imagine that this model could be found in communities that you take part in. Why do people choose to follow certain guidelines? 1. They believe in the importance of community. 2. They see some benefit to themselves in that community. These could be reasons for your "do no harm" stance. Ultimately, it is good for you, and good for others. One final comment; when refering to legalistic issues of interpretation of the Bible it is important to nuance. I think that the concept of religion, and the concept of spirituality, are not the same. And the idea of a community of believers, and a spiritual dimension to our exsistance, are also quite different. I see some people who take part in "church" for the social or community aspect. And others seem to take advantage of the spiritual dimension without getting caught up in the legalism of the institution. Or rather, they are spiritual in spite of the church. Come back soon, now. :) Peace, Bach 
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